


A Handful of Scales

by sleeplessyui



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Body Worship, Childhood Friends, Crying, Dragon Hybrids, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Hybrid Raihan, Love Confessions, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mildly Dubious Consent, Overstimulation, Porn with Feelings, but it's all in the wrong order
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23677234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeplessyui/pseuds/sleeplessyui
Summary: There once was a time when humans and Pokemon were one. The divide since isn't as clear-cut as some would think.Raihan has had a crush on his childhood friend and rival Leon for years, but that's not the only secret he has been keeping from him.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 37
Kudos: 305





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfic in 12 years? Check.  
> First fanfic in English? Check.  
> First time writing smut? Check.  
> What could go wrong? 😅
> 
> The title is basically what you get, no scalie levels of hybrid, no dragon anatomy and so on. Sorry. Tagged for the whole story, which is finished but still in editing.

Looking back on the day it all started, it was almost ridiculous how insignificant it had been. Just a normal day like any other, nothing overly special happening that could have caused any of this to be set off… just a regular Friday at Hammerlocke Gym. But Raihan felt unusually _restless_ all day.

He had had a few Gym Challengers in the morning as the annual Champion Cup season was coming up again, the first for their young new Champ to defend her title at. But despite having a rather enjoyable day so far, Raihan had been weirdly on edge ever since he woke up.

Leon was gonna come over from Wyndon later today, to stay the weekend for a tutorial match series organised by the League. It was rare these days to get a hold of him outside of the Battle Tower, with the project still being in it's infancy and requiring a lot of his attention. But Raihan knew it wasn't because of Leon's visit that he felt off today; after all, he had years of practice in staying calm around his rival and childhood friend and the suppressed feelings he had for him.  
At this point, it was just a basic fact of life that Raihan loved Leon and also, that he would never ever let him find out and ruin what they had. So why did his skin feel crawly and his heart beat faster all morning?

Lost in thought, he switched his Gym uniform for a more casual hoodie and training wear. Whilst checking his Rotom phone for new messages, he made his way towards the Wild Zone. Leon hadn't messaged him since last night with the time of his train arrival - which made sense, he was probably busy preparing for a whole weekend away from the tower. Raihan snapped a quick selfie in his training wear and captioned it with a short message about training yourself as well, not just your Pokémon, before uploading it. Maybe a good, long workout would take his mind off his worries and burn any excess energy that could be blamed for the restlessness he felt.

He was in the middle of doing his warm-ups when Rotom rose up with a little jingle and flew over from where he had set it down.

**Leon** : morning! just saw your y-comm post and couldn't help but wonder if you are trying to avoid spending the night with me again haha

Raihan grinned and snatched the Rotom phone out of the air to type a reply.

**Raihan** : I work out most days of the week y'know? This temple doesn't stay in shape by itsself ;)

**Leon** : temple… yea right. don't expect me to worship it lol

**Leon** : just saying, it HAS happened before

Admittedly, Leon was right:  
A few years ago, when they were barely of drinking age, they wanted to go for a disguised pub crawl where they could _really_ let loose; the idea of doing something stupid publicly whilst for once not actually being in the public eye was very tempting to the two trainers who had become famous at such a young age.  
Leon had spent ages thinking up and gathering the perfect disguises for them, but Raihan's stupid teenage mind wouldn't stop conjuring up scenarios of what could happen with both of them drunk out of their minds - even though it was so very clear that nothing would happen! - so to distract himself from those idle thoughts, he worked out like crazy before he went to meet up with his friend.

Consequently, he passed out from exhaustion before the sun even went down, and their secret pub crawl never came to be. Which honestly probably was for the best, as Raihan's metabolism took to alcohol a bit differently than normal people.

**Raihan** : Oh please, I wouldn't DARE miss out on the chance to hear you gush about that tower of yours all night long…

He added a rolling eyes emoji. It was good-natured teasing, and Raihan knew that even through text Leon wouldn't misunderstand. After all, Raihan was genuinely happy that his friend had found something to occupy himself with that he enjoyed, something that also didn't involve leaving Galar, as he had secretly feared at first after little Gloria won the Championship.

As there was no immediate reply, he finished his warm-up and let out Flygon to keep him company, as it was the only one of his Pokémon that also loved to challenge its own speed. Then they raced off into the wilderness; Flygon getting infected by Raihan's joy and reckless abandon and flying loops and high speed maneuvers around him.

\- - -

With an exhausted grunt, Raihan dropped onto one of the seats in the Hammerlocke train station waiting area. His stamina was pretty good for a human, but there were still limits to how long he could go at full power for, and his excited Flygon didn't quite share them. When he had finally made it back to the city, it was almost the time of Leon's train arrival, so instead of going home and properly getting ready, he just took a quick shower at the Gym instead and hurried to the station without so much as a meal. If Leon didn't arrive soon, that poor Swinub that some kids were playing with on the other side of the station was gonna be in mortal danger, he thought to himself with a little smirk.

As if his thoughts were heard by some higher being that took mercy on either him or the Swinub, that was exactly when the train arrived, and Raihan felt something curl and flutter in his stomach. No matter how used he was to it, the full dose of seeing Leon again after a while always hit him like a brick. So it was no surprise that he felt weirdly faint yet ecstatic when his secret crush stepped off the train, wearing a simple but high quality wine red button-up that harmonised beautifully with his unruly violet hair and elegant black pants that stirred very undesirable fantasies, as well as a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

Oh, right. Raihan had to stop himself from staring. He had almost forgotten that Leon was here on official League business and not just to visit him and therefore had to be dressed up.

That's when Leon spotted him and hurried his steps to reach his friend and rival, drawing him into a bear hug right away.  
"Raihan! I've missed you! It's been so long, mate!" he exclaimed. A lop-sided grin sneaked onto Raihan's face and he returned the hug, blue eyes sparkling. "I'm not the one who's always busy, y'know? Missed you too, man." He let go before it could become awkward.

Just stay active, stay moving, keep talking. He couldn't afford to give himself time to dwell on how good it felt to hug Leon again or how intoxicating his faint smell was. Raihan snatched the bag away under Leon's protest and strolled out of the station whilst joking and laughing about how there were no decent opponents anymore without him around.

Outside, after a short moment of hesitation, he went to the Flying Taxi stand instead of taking off in the direction of his home. He felt weirdly sluggish, even factoring in his exhaustion from earlier and his angrily rumbling stomach. It wasn't like him, who was always brimming with energy, and Leon's way too sharp eyes and years of knowing Raihan noticed it of course. "Are you feeling a bit under the weather today?" he asked, leaning against a streetlamp not too far from where Corviknight would land.

Raihan shrugged noncommittedly, not wanting to lie to Leon but also not wanting to make him worried. "I don't know, I guess I overdid it a bit with my training after all." He ommited that his skin had been feeling weirdly crawly all day already, long before he went to the Wild Zone, or that he felt almost short of breath even as they just stood there, waiting for the taxi to arrive.

One of the perks of being… _abnormal_ was that he literally couldn't get sick. So whatever was happening was probably just his subconcious freaking out about finally seeing Leon again after literal months of being apart. Leon jabbed him with his elbow and proudly proclaimed: "Told you so."

And of course he was right about that.


	2. Chapter 2

Raihan rummaged through his rarely-used kitchen, trying to find a big enough pot in his lower cabinets whilst he heard Leon humming from the bedroom, putting his stuff away. Leon, the gentle soul, had decided not to go out to eat because he "wanted Raihan to rest".

So far, so good. Raihan was quite content with the prospect of spending the evening with just the two of them in his home, just hanging out together, watching a movie or something and ordering some highly unhealthy junk food. Sadly, the junk food part was a matter they didn't quite agree on, and of course Sonia was to blame.

Sharp pain jolted through the back of his head as he hit the top of the cabinet whilst trying to crawl in deeper. A few expletives later he heard steps coming closer before a tanned face, framed by a perfectly trimmed beard, peeked into the kitchen cabinet.

"Uhh… I don't wanna interrupt your cave digging endeavours but… are you okay?" Leon asked, caught between amusement and genuine worry. Raihan chose not to answer and instead shoved a massive pot towards the obnoxious ex-champion. Leon's face lit up and the glimmer of genuine joy in those golden eyes sent a pleasant shiver down Raihan's spine and was enough to make him forget the bruise on the back of his head.

\- - -

**Raihan** : I can't believe you'd do that to me ;(

**Raihan** : Why are all my friends horrible people!

**Sonia** : Thanks for the compliment ♡ What did I do to deserve such loving words?

He snorted, sitting down on the kitchen stool whilst chaos erupted around him. Such a quick reply, she must have been off work already.

**Raihan** : Going around infecting others with your horrible curry obsession?

He took a picture of himself with a deliberately pouting expression, pointing his thumb at Leon in the background who happily messed around with the giant pot and a bunch of indistinguishable ingredients, supported by a very excited Charizard.

**Sonia** : Aww ♡ So glad my efforts finally paid off!

**Sonia** : I'm still at work so I gotta stop texting, but I hope you two lovebirds have a fun weekend together! :) Remember to come by Wedgehurst more often; Hop definitely misses his big bro even if he doesn't say anything, and I also would like to see my friends once in a while~

Raihan froze and stared at her message. _Lovebirds_? He hadn't ever been obvious, had he? She was probably just mindlessly teasing and there was no meaning behind it whatsoever.

Right at that moment, a hand brushed past his cheek from behind and Raihan _yelped_ and dropped his Rotom phone, which hummed indignantly at having to stop the sudden fall. Leon looked at Raihan rather surprised, a spoon with curry dripping off it still in his hand. Raihan stared back, equally startled. His cheek was still prickling as if little bolts of electricity were shooting through it where Leon had touched him.

"I… just wanted to let you try the curry," Leon said, voice trailing off, seemingly distracted by something in Raihan's face, which was growing warm with embarrassment right now. He squirmed under Leon's intense stare as he felt his blood rushing in two directions at once.

No way.  
 _This couldn't be happening._  
He wasn't a horny teenager anymore who had zero self control in that regard! Internally panicking, he noticed that Leon wasn't moving at all, still staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Ohh yea the curry, huh?" Raihan leant forward and snapped at the spoon, licking it clean in one fell swoop. Spicy and sweet. Leon knew so well what would satisfy both of their favorite flavours.

"Tastes great! Listen, I need to go to the bathroom real quick, so… "  
He left the sentence hanging and basically fled the kitchen, feeling betrayed by his own body.

\- - -

Throwing cold water in his face, Raihan tried to calm himself.

Of course, it would be a lie to claim that he wasn't more than a little attracted to his rival. It wasn't just physical attraction either - he genuinely loved Leon for his steadfastness in the face of overwhelming odds, the selfless abandon with which he rushed into danger for others, the ease with which he could excite those around him and his overwhelming talent as a trainer. As silly and foolishly in love as it sounded, Leon was like a shining light brightening up his night, and he knew that he was one of the few people who actually had the honor of knowing him up close, knowing of Leon's more self-doubting side, his insane work ethic and his regrets. And he loved all of him.

But ignoring all of that, Leon was also simply a very attractive man.

At first Raihan had felt terribly guilty about it, but over the years he had come to terms with the fact that more than a few of his more… _questionable_ dreams revolved around having a "Champion time" with a certain Champion. And when he was younger, he had made it a habit of waiting to take a shower after a match until Leon had finished, because he feared his body would give his desires away (which was also how Leon never found out about that _other_ secret, even though Raihan hadn't particularly tried to hide it from his friend - the only person he never deliberately tried to hide it from, because keeping one big secret from him was enough).

To have his body betray him _now_ , so many years after close calls with hormone infused almost-hard-ons, was positively infuriating.

He looked into the mirror. A pensive stare from cerulean blue eyes looked back at him. He seemed flushed still, and almost steaming. Of course he knew why his body had a higher base temperature than people on average did, but even for him, this was unusual. His pants felt sticky even though he never would have _dared_ to lay a hand on himself whilst Leon was staying over and-

It hit him like a truck.  
 _This was it._  
This was the thing he had been prepared for when he was younger and eventually forgot about when it never came, dismissing it as a legend that had nothing to do with reality. But he really should have known better. He should have known better, because everything else about him seemed like a made-up, ancient legend too and everyday when looking in the mirror he was reminded that it wasn't. That dragon blood really _did_ run through his veins. 

And this dragon was now _in_ _heat_.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Rai? Are you okay? The curry is getting cold," Leon said, voice muffled through the door. A thousand thoughts rushed through Raihan's head. He was most definitely NOT okay! He wasn't okay because everything about his heat was distinctly sexual, and sexual and Leon was a horrible combo.

The knocking got louder. "Raihan! Do you need help? Are you sick? Was the curry bad or something?"

Raihan could feel his body shudder with want at Leon's voice. Now that he was no longer in denial about his symptoms, it was oh so easy to read them, it almost made him laugh out loud how blind he had been. His skin felt crawly because it was oversensitive and longing for touch. The restlessness drove him to seek out a mate whilst he was alone, and turned into compliant calm that he mistook for exhaustion as soon as he had met up with Leon.  
His flushed face, raised body heat, shortness of breath and the wetness in his pants all were normal symptoms which signified that his body was ready to… _receive_.

The revelations about himself never stopped coming today.

In his family, dragon genes had been passed on for generations. Usually, they laid dormant, and it was only the diligence of his family members that kept the knowledge intact through generations born without any dragon features. Being keepers of history in the treasury of Hammerlocke helped, he supposed.

So with that knowledge readily available to him, the first in many years born with active dragon genes, he had read everything he could to learn more about himself. One such topic was the heat hybrids like him went through regularly. It started somewhere between age 14 and 18, and depending on how it played out, he'd know his "dragon gender".   
Raihan remembered hysterically laughing at that, back when he still struggled coming to terms with liking another boy and the concept of even more sex-related confusion seemed just utterly ridiculous.

But dragon hybrids weren't split in boys and girls, they were split in alphas and omegas and those lucky enough to be so little part dragon that their human sex prevailed, generally called beta.  
And it wasn't as if the dragon gender had to match up with the human one. Female alphas and male omegas weren't that unlikely, a fact he was now painfully reminded of as his own body got ready to receive, not take.

Raihan felt faint.

His spikes and scales and fangs were quite prevalent, so everyone in the family had figured his genes were strong, but his 18th birthday came and went by without him ever experiencing his first heat.

He had made his peace with that. As a child, there had been nothing cooler to him than being part dragon. But as he grew up, it felt more like a minor nuisance, really. He never came to hate his different body though. Maybe he was just too narcissistic to hate himself, maybe to be proud of his features had been too instilled in him from early on, but from the practical standpoint of a teenager, it was simply something that got in the way of dating, and that was about it. And with his secret silly crush on his rival, dating wasn't happening anyways.

Yet now, at age 22, so many years after he had long accepted things as they were, _now_ his body suddenly was filled with an unbearable need. A need that he knew could only be satisfied in one way. 

Raihan desperately clung to the sink to keep upright. His pupils in the mirror were dark and wide, drowning out the intense blue of his eyes, and his fangs glistened in the light of the sunset that was shining in from the window. It would have been almost fascinating to see his own descent into primal urges if it wasn't for Leon banging on the door still.

Leon! Oh no.

No no no.

Leon couldn't be here. Not when he was already slipping like this.

Raihan took a deep breath, tried to steady himself and went to unlock the door. He had to get Leon out of here, and if he still had time after that he'd call his Mum and hope she knew of a less humiliating solution to his "little problem" than jumping the first stranger he could find in the streets.

He wore his trademark lop-sided smile as he opened the door, and if it looked a bit more forced than normal it wasn't something most people would notice. Leon stopped his shouting immediately and something akin to fear spread over his worried face as he took in Raihan's state, badly hidden as it was.

"You look terrible," were his first words, and Raihan couldn't help but chuckle.  
"You really know how to seduce a beauty like me, huh. Lower their self-esteem first, right?"  
His vision swayed a bit, even though he was holding onto the doorframe. Focus! He had to get Leon out of here!

But the collarbones peeking out of Leon's shirt were so much more interesting. He wanted to touch that soft tan skin, touch it and slide deeper, deeper until he could satisfy his mate fully. The thought was only half-formed as he leaned into Leon and undid the top button of his shirt to get a better look. His breath was fast and needy as he leaned in and-

The full force of Leon's scent made his knees give in and he would have fallen if Leon hadn't caught him, gently letting him sit. For a moment that felt like an eternity, Raihan just sat there, breathing, taking in the manly scent that he had always liked but that multiplied by a dozen in terms of effect on him, now that all his senses were sharpened to new heights.  
There was a lot to be said about Leon's surprising calmness, because most people would probably not have taken being assaulted and _sniffed_ as well as he did.

"What is up with you, Rai? Are you drunk?"  
Raihan tried to remember why he was sitting here, fully clothed, instead of engaging in intercourse with the man he loved so dearly.

And then he finally remembered.

"You need to leave," he whispered, finding it ridiculously hard to say those words because then this wonderful smell would be gone and he really didn't want that, but for now, Raihan was still mostly in control and not his instincts.

Leon gave him a dry look that didn't even entertain the notion: "As if I'd leave you here alone when you are clearly in distress. I don't know what happened in there," he pointed at the bathroom, "but I'm not leaving a sick friend alone."

Raihan could have screamed at Leon's kindness which would be his literal doom if he didn't leave soon.

"You have the tutorial matches on Sunday. I don't want you to… catch it. What I have. You can't get sick," he tried, hoping to convince Leon to abandon him. His insides were convulsing painfully, screaming for someone to fill him up. Raihan endured it, because that was something he didn't ever want his friend to know.

But Leon wouldn't be Leon if he had just left then and there. "Bloody hells… " he grumbled, and suddenly, Raihan found himself lifted up and thrown over Leon's shoulder, his face now full of violet hair, and if a stifled moan escaped him as Leon held onto him to keep him in place, then he covered it up pretty well.

\- - -

When Leon layed him down on his bed, Raihan felt his sanity slipping some more.  
Why DID he want his crush to leave? If he had to go through this anyway and was gonna be forced by his instincts to get fucked, then wouldn't it be better to do it with the person he loved than some stranger?  
The primal part of his brain didn't care, but his heart did. He didn't want his first time to be with some stranger. He wanted it to be Leon, consequences be damned!

… but he owed it to Leon. He owed it to his friend to keep him safe from this.

So Raihan tried again, praying that Leon would listen, because he didn't know how many more attempts he had in him before he'd jump him for good.

"Please, Lee. I'm begging you. Go. I _promise_ I'll be fine and you can trust me on this, but you being here is making this really hard on me."

He never had tried to hide being part dragon from his friend, but springing the whole explanation on him now seemed like not exactly the best timing. Still, he somehow had to get through to him that him being here was making things worse.

Raihan was so focused on trying to keep his cool and speaking clearly, that he didn't notice that Leon was shifting uncomfortably on the edge of the bed, not saying anything but not leaving either. But when several moments passed without Leon answering his plea, he tried to figure out what was wrong. His first idea was absolutely ridiculous, because it almost seemed as if Leon was trying to hide an unwanted erection and as if _that_ would ever happen… !

But as the silence hung over them longer and longer, Raihan couldn't really think of anything else, the telltale behaviour was too familiar to him.

It wasn't fair.  
Leon didn't deserve this.

But his searching hands were no longer his own when they sneaked over Leon's thigh to meet hardness under the tight, black fabric. Leon let out a shaky breath that he unsuccessfully tried to turn into a laugh.

"Well, this is awkward, I guess… if it helps in any way, I'm sure your ego is gonna be delighted to know that even when sick, you look… " he struggled to find the right word "… enticing."

The whole situation was so absurd, it made Raihan laugh, and his blue eyes sparked in the dusk enveloping the room more and more as the day came to an end outside.

Fine, then.

He didn't have the energy to hold back anymore. There was still time for regrets tomorrow. If this was going to happen, at least he wanted it to happen the right way. No more secrets. No more half-truths.

And so he explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to add a bit on the dragon hybrid thing:  
> From what little we know about the creation myth of the Pokemon world, it's pretty strongly alluded to that originally, humans and Pokemon were one, until Arceus brought order by seperating them into different species. But clearly, it didn't exactly do that good of a job considering we still have a ton of hints about how humans keep turning into Pokemon all the time...🙃  
> So I figured it really wasn't too much of a stretch to assume there could be humans that are still remotely related to Pokemon?  
> Anyway, just thought I'd explain the thought process behind how this fits into canon or not for anyone who might care.


	4. Chapter 4

Ever since Raihan knew him, Leon had never been the type to get embarassed easily. Talking to others freely about pretty much any topic just had always come natural to him, a skillset undoubtedly honed even further by his publicity work as the Champion. Right now though, he clearly struggled to find the right words to sum up what he had learnt in the past few minutes.

"So you are saying. That because you are… part dragon? Because of that you go into heat from time to time, and because you are an omega dragon, you need someone to… to do it with… " He took a deep breath. " _To do you,_ " he attempted, looking overwhelmed under the unruly strands of long hair that had lost their perfectly styled form when he carried his friend to bed earlier.

Raihan just nodded. Speaking was actually surprisingly exhausting, even though overall, his body had calmed down a bit. It was strange. Despite how ridiculous it all sounded, and how he would have expected any sane person to run for the hills by now, there was this out of place feeling of assurance.

Somehow he knew this was going to happen now.

Because the evidence that it was true was all over his body if Leon just cared to look for it. And even though there were so many fears and worries he had regarding Leon in general and his reaction to all of this in particular, the one thing he didn't fear was Leon rejecting him based on his draconian side. Raihan wouldn't have fallen for him if he was the type of person to abandon a friend over a handful of scales.

And that knowledge was strangely reassuring.

He also wasn't the type to leave a friend in need of help alone, which was the source of this whole dilemma in the first place, but also meant he probably wouldn't bolt now that he knew the truth.

Leon let out a deep sigh with his eyes closed. As if he was steeling his resolve. But no matter what Raihan had expected him to say or do next, it wasn't this:  
Leon suddenly was over him, and the amber color of his eyes seemed unusually dark; there was something dangerous lurking at the bottom as he pinned down Raihan beneath himself with gentle force.

"How many times has this happened before? How many times did you… did you seek out someone to help you with _this_?" His knee pressed up against Raihan's errection who couldn't stifle a strained moan.

"Does it matter?" Raihan forced out. He was reluctant to tell Leon that it was his first time. Because Leon was the kind of sappy guy who would put a lot of significance on that, and if he ever _somehow_ wanted to salvage their friendship of the remains of this night, it would be easier if there was no meaning attached to it other than helping a friend with a… medical emergency.

When there wasn't love and first times involved.

He hadn't expected the sadness on his love's face.

"It matters to me," Leon simply said. And then, as if they hadn't been awkwardly sitting several feet apart until just now, he kissed him so naturally as if they had never been doing anything else. It lit a fire in Raihan that was more intense than anything he had felt since the start of his heat and made him melt into the kiss. Leon's carefully trimmed beard scratched over his chin and left him feeling raw and open.

When they both were short of breath, Leon held Raihan's head in his warm, gentle hands and thumbed over his slightly swollen lips until Raihan parted them with a weak sigh. With newfound fascination, Leon touched his sharp fangs.

"I always liked them, y'know?" he mumbled into the hollow of Raihan's neck, sounding a bit embarrassed.

Raihan chuckled and stretched out languorously beneath him, painfully aware of every part where their bodies touched and the abundance of fabric still between them. He loved his hoodie, but it was just about the worst piece of clothing he could think of for what he had in mind. Leon's warm breath on his neck made his skin tingle but this was all still going too slow, even though at the same time a part of him felt extremely overwhelmed.

So he took the initiative, sat up halfway and took his hoodie and the orange hairband off, as Leon watched on with curiosity. Raihan trusted him. But it still cost him quite some effort to say: "Then maybe you should explore a bit and see if you find anything else you like." He grinned more confidently than he felt and dropped back onto the bed with a playful wink. Leon seemed torn for a moment before he took advantage of that explicit permission that he somehow seemed to have needed, because oh, did he not hold back suddenly.

A surprised yelp escaped Raihan when Leon shoved up his shirt, which turned into a soft, drawn-out moan when Leon planted kisses all over the freshly exposed skin, finally giving his touch-starved self what he so desperately craved.

Through the haze of arousal, Raihan knew he should be reciprocating it but all he could do was writhe and pant under the intense sensation. Leon seemed rather pleased with just indulging in Raihan's body anyway. With a sly smile he focused his attention on the dark nipples perking up greedily, scraping his teeth over them, licking and biting and sucking and if he was a bit too rough with it, it was because Raihan arched his back in silent screams of unspeakable pleasure everytime he did.

"So far, you look pretty human to me, dragon boy," he whispered into Raihan's ear with amusement in his voice, and Raihan shuddered from the warm breath on such a sensitive area.  
He was so pliant in Leon's hands… !

"Consider it a challenge to find any part that differs," Raihan offered breathlessly. Excitement lit up Leon's face at the prospect of a challenge.

Every touch sent shivers all over Raihan's body as his oversensitive skin struggled to deal with the torrent of sensations. Leon's searching hands never stopped in their endeavor, only finally coming to a surprised halt when the skin at the small of Raihan's back made way for a smooth, firm surface lining his spine. Raihan compliantly turned around and slipped out of his shirt to give Leon better access to his backside, trying to calm his nervously fluttering heart. 

He wasn't ashamed of his dragon features, but it still felt weirdly _intimate_ to show them to someone like this. Raihan's breath came fast and shallow as he tried to keep still despite the primal part in him urging him to move.  
With quiet fascination, Leon reached out and gently touched the bright line of off-white scales that stood in stark contrast to Raihan's tan skin, gently shimmering in the fleeting light. They wound up their way along his back until they rose up more and more between his shoulders, turning into curved barbs that looked quite sharp and dangerous.

"Are they safe to touch?" Leon asked with unabashed curiosity. Raihan nodded, fearing his voice would betray him if he tried to speak now. Despite the certainty with which he had told himself that it would be fine, that Leon wasn't the kind of man that would react adversely, deep down there had still been some level of fear he couldn't quite shake off, even with most of his thoughts cushioned on a hormonal mix of arousal.

Hearing nothing but genuine curiosity and awe in the voice of the man he loved, Raihan suddenly found it hard to hold back the tears.


	5. Chapter 5

Leon started at the very top by carefully unknotting Raihan's hair. It was tightly wrapped around the spikes leading down the backside of his head, concealing them from curious stares everyday. The relaxation and feeling of Leon's fingers on his scalp elicited the sweetest sounds from Raihan, who was lost between comfort, titillation and just outright becoming an emotional wreck.

The light color and shimmering surface of the spikes were reminiscent of pearls and stood out amongst Raihan's dark hair. As Leon touched them, he found them to be quite flexible, bending under light pressure and recoiling when released. Thoughtlessly, his first impression just slipped out:

" _Beautiful_ … "

Raihan felt the heat rising up to his ears and pressed his face into the pillow in embarrassment. Leon's touch, which slowly made its way down his neck and across his back, was so… treasuring, so full of awe, that it left Raihan flustered and speechless and full of an unfamiliar warmth everywhere Leon touched - a comfortable, trusting warmth that wasn't related to his heat in any way.

He felt… loved. Wholly accepted.

It really would do good to remind his silly heart why they were doing this.

Leon was the kind of guy who devoted his everything to anything that he started, that's how he had become the Champ and stayed in that position for an entire decade, and it was why he could rarely be found outside of the Battle Tower nowadays. Right now he was resolved to help Raihan with his little problem, which was the sole reason he so willingly participated in all of this. It wasn't like Leon would voluntarily touch him like this under any other circumstance, and Raihan would do good to remember that fact, no matter how much it hurt to remind himself of it.

So shoving aside these unreasonable feelings, the desire sparked by his heat returned to the forefront of Raihan's mind, and Leon's gentle caresses and butterfly kisses became tantalising and almost painful.

When Leon made his way down to the waistband of his shorts, Raihan wriggled out of them and his underwear at once. Feeling awkward, fully aware of how wanton he behaved, yet that thought was fleeting because the feeling of relief at finally being freed from the painful prison was overwhelming. 

For a moment, all he could do was breathe.

Leon watched him closely, golden eyes dark with desire as he leaned back to take in the view of Raihan stretched out beneath him, laid bare entirely, already so hard and messy and filling the air with an unfamiliar alluring scent.

Leon also took a deep breath, and then almost winced back, staggering, overwhelmed by it. He suddenly grabbed Raihan's wrists and pulled him up, close to his chest, burying his face in the curve of Raihan's neck.

"I'm sorry, I… need a moment," he mumbled, sounding almost astonished. "I'm trying not to… I don't know what's wrong with me. How the hell do you smell so inviting, man?" He shook his head as if to chase off some thought. "It's like when you are starving and someone puts your favorite food in front of you. It's kind of amazing."

Raihan chuckled quietly in response. He could feel the viscous liquid that caused the enticing aroma run down the inside of his leg and seep into the sheets, which wasn't exactly a sensation he was familiar with. Sure, he had known that lubrication wasn't something he would have to worry about, but it still felt really odd, and he hadn't expected it to have this kind of side effect either.

"I hope you don't expect me to say 'Then come and devour me!' or something like that," he said jokingly. "It's probably because of the heat. I didn't know about it having this kind of effect either to be honest- "  
His words got cut off by Leon impatiently pulling him into a rough kiss of smashing teeth and scratched skin that left them both breathless and yet needing more. And finally, finally, Leon unbuttoned and shifted off his shirt and feeling skin on skin had Raihan reeling, his heavy breath turning into moans caught between pleasure and pain as his body convulsed, the absolute need to be filled multiplying as Leon pushed him back down, hands wandering over the curve of his behind, pulling him closer, pressing their erections together through the slick fabric of his pants.

"But I _do_ want to devour you, " Leon rumbled with a rough, deeper than usual, voice. Raihan trembled from what that sound was doing to him, struggling to grasp the meaning of the words, as the rational part of him was losing more and more to the draconian urge to simply _mate_.

Leon's fingers were so close to his entrance…

The friction of the fabric between them felt so good…

But Raihan's personal champion seemed convinced that holding back was the right thing to do, because he took his sweet time, returning to exploring Raihan's burning body with his mouth rather than his hands this time, not shying away from Raihan's strained member either, and Raihan dissolved into a whimpering mess under Leon's exploring, curious touch.

\- - -

He hadn't noticed that tears had started to run down his face until he sobbed, begging: "Please, Leon… just take me already. I can't bear it anymore… !" It didn't matter that normally he would be way too prideful to utter these words. It didn't matter how embarrassingly desperate he sounded now. He had never needed anything as much as this, to the point where it was physically painful to endure even just a moment longer.

But the soft kisses down the scales on his hip continued, the rough fingers on his overly sensitive skin driving him insane, poking and prodding at his entrance and gently stretching and massaging him for what was to come. It was a slow and torturous preparation and it had gone on for entirely too long.

"I want to make love to you, not use you and throw you away," the wonderful, sweet dummy explained. And whilst Raihan's heart filled with warmth at that, his heart was no longer the main priority here. So with a frustrated sound, he yanked himself away from Leon. Uncoordinated as he was, he slammed against the headrest and came to a sudden halt, the impact shaking him and throwing off his vision even more. Trying to focus through the tears and the haze that was more and more thoroughly enveloping his brain, he blindly reached out, cupping Leon's startled face.

"That is not what I need right now! Oh my god Lee, _just fuck me already_ … ! I need you to-" His voice trailed off and he suddenly knew that this was the final straw.

Simple as that.

He had retained partial control for an astonishing amount of time but the overwhelming desire had stirred within him all day long and without warning, it was simply taking over now.

"Promise me-" he squeezed out with the last of his power, "-that you will do it right. No half-arsed bullshit. No stopping because you are worried about me. Can you… do that… for me?"

Leon closed his eyes for a second, seemingly collecting his thoughts before he looked straight at Raihan, not a shred of doubt in his golden eyes.

"I promise."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh...please don't think the first few lines are all there is to it and keep reading? 😅  
> I'm pretty sure everyone is still gonna end up feeling disappointed anyways, but...oh well. This is about the maximum I can handle for now in terms of explicitness.

In his heat-induced daze, Raihan couldn't see or hear, not really. It was as if all of his senses had merged and were assaulting him at once - did he hear with his skin and taste with his eyes? He couldn't tell. It was utterly overwhelming and desperately, he tried to hold onto what little pieces of reality he could grasp as chaos engulfed him.

A familiar deep voice.   
Specks of gold and violet.   
The faint taste of curry.   
Warm skin and a manly scent that he knew so well.  
He couldn't put them together at first, but deep down, he knew they all meant safety, trust and love.

_Leon_.

It tore Raihan apart when Leon finally entered him, heat and pleasure and a sliver of pain shooting up his spine and he didn't know anything anymore; the sheer bliss and the cacophony of sensations crashing down on him almost made him lose conciousness, but he held on, clung to the familiarity in this violent storm that was sweeping him up.

He felt so whole and complete. He felt utterly devastated. He didn't know what he felt anymore.

Then Leon started moving and any semblance of thought was lost, pure carnal pleasure brutally washing over him as he came apart with every thrust, the stimulation being too much and yet never enough.

The salty taste of tears.  
Heat and sweat and a harsh rhythm that was too much to bear. 

Time didn't exist anymore, and Raihan lost himself in a neverending whirl of ecstasy, madness and passion.

\- - -

What brought him back to reality was the sounds of distress that unsettled Raihan's hazy, blissful world. What reason would anyone have to cry or scream when everything was alright, as it should be-

With that thought, like breaking through the surface of a still lake, everything was back in an instant; bright and overly focused and _real,_ and he couldn't breathe because he was screaming, screaming out the unbearable mix of pain and pleasure of Leon hitting just the right spot over and over again, and in a sobbing, overstimulated mess he collapsed against Leon's muscular chest.

"Welcome back," his champion remarked with notable strain in his voice, weakly grinning into Raihan's hair. Leon kept still, only his laboured breath moving him a bit. He had his back leant against the headrest, holding Raihan in his lap where their bodies were still joined.

Raihan just couldn't stop trembling. Breathing hard, trying to tell himself that there was no danger approaching, _he was okay_ , he was fine, they were in his bedroom and nothing scary was happening to him. But the sheer panic just kept rising regardless, it took all of his willpower to not jump up and flee, just… away from everything. To a dark, hidden place where he wouldn't feel so exposed and weak and _vulnerable_.  
His breath came in shorter and shorter intervals and some part of him realised he was starting to hyperventilate, but he couldn't stop it, irrational fear flooding his mind.

_It was all too much_.

Of course Leon noticed something was wrong with him, he looked at Raihan worriedly, calling out to him, but he couldn't answer.

With a sharp curse, Leon made a decision, retracting himself from Raihan's pliable heat and before he could freak out even more at the sudden loss inside of him, Raihan was swept up in the big blanket that covered his bed normally, obstructing his view with soft, calming darkness. Leon gave him some much-needed space, only lightly placing a hand on the fabric, like an anchor assuring Raihan that he was still there.  
In the darkness that shut out the world, Raihan finally managed to calm down a bit.

\- - -

"Thanks," he finally said, not knowing how many minutes had passed already but also not ready to leave the safety of his little cocoon just yet to check. His voice came out hoarse and broken; just how much had he screamed? "I really needed a moment to come down from… whatever that was. How did you know?"  
Something moved next to him, maybe Leon was shrugging or changing positions, before he said with light amusement in his voice: "You seemed just a _little_ overwhelmed, y'know."

Hesitantly, Raihan finally pulled the blanket down enough to at least stick his head out a bit.

His bedroom wasn't actually bright at all, the only dim light coming from his nightstand lamp that Leon must have turned on at some point during the past- actually, how long had it even been?  
Slowly sitting up whilst still wrapped in the wide comfortable blanket, Raihan asked exactly that.

Leon, face laid onto his crossed arms which were propped up on his knees, his long hair damp with sweat and tangled, shot a strange look at his friend that turned into a tired little smile. "Just a few hours, maybe a bit more. It's still Friday night," he clarified, before burrowing his face in his arms, breathing out loudly. He seemed exhausted.  
Raihan made an undetermined sound that could mean anything between 'Oh wow, that's late' and 'I want to crawl into a ditch and die'.

He felt like crap, his muscles ached and there was a dull sense of pain inside of him, but he was also weirdly light-headed and almost giddy, his insides still remembering the friction and pressure engrained into him all too well, even if his mind didn't. At least the immediate, uncontrollable urge that drove him into Leon's arms was gone, no longer forcing him into embarassingly needy behaviour, so that was definitely a plus. Though there _was_ still a subdued tingly sensation reverberating through him, making it clear that this wasn't entirely over yet.

With a deep breath, he finally left his blanket nest to hesitantly approach Leon. After all that had clearly happened already, he shouldn't be feeling shy now, but in fact, he only really remembered what had happened before he lost control. He still was feeling the obvious aftereffects, so he had a pretty good idea of what had transpired since, but that really just made it worse.

"Um… are you okay?" he asked quietly when Leon didn't raise his head upon his hesitant approach.

Stupid, of course he wasn't okay!  
His rival, his _friend_ had basically attacked him and taken advantage of his kind nature. That wasn't a minor thing to just push aside… !

Leon didn't reply to his question, his voice was muffled when he said: "Well what about you? Is that heat thing over now?"

_It wasn't._ Even if he couldn't feel the tingling sensation wander through him still, he'd remember the records of his ancestors, and the clear requirements described to end a heat. But there was no way he could say that to Leon now, was there? The silence grew uncomfortable, giving Raihan a first taste of how it would probably be between them from now on. He hated it, and yet, he had no one but himself to blame.

Suddenly Leon raised his head, and the gaze that hit Raihan from those dark amber eyes was filled with so much desperation and desire, that he stumbled backwards onto his heels in shock. Only now did he actually grasp the strain in Leon's voice fully. Strain? Wait. Leon was… holding back?

"It's your scent." Leon sighed in frustration, responding to Raihan's puzzled look. Leaning back against the headrest, he revealed his painful erection. "I don't know why but it's driving me insane. It's like you are calling out to me to… " His voice trailed off as he realised what he was about to say. "Well, anyways, if that heat thing is over, that's good," he said. "If you could give me a few minutes to myself to finish off… ?"

Raihan flinched. A tiny, cowardly part of him actually did want to take him up on that offer; to escape this confusing, uncomfortable situation as fast as possible, to sort out his jumbled thoughts and raw emotions which had drifted to the surface, only barely hidden now after what he and Leon had shared. But he wasn't the type to run from his battles, or he would have never become the kind of trainer he was.

And if he was being completely honest… he also didn't want it to end here tonight. Not like this. Not in this awkward, pitiful way that would make it weird between them for the rest of their lives. Not after he selfishly took what he needed for himself, only to abandon Leon afterwards just to go deal with his own emotions. Not after he couldn't even properly remember what they had done… !

And so, gently but with newfound motivation, he approached the man he so desperately loved once more. Pushing aside the guilt and worry for now, he leaned their foreheads together carefully, paying attention to any adverse reaction by Leon, but none came.  
"Let me take care of you," he whispered, eyes closed. Leon slowly relaxed against him, and Raihan's hands ghosted downwards, gently tracing Leon's shoulders, caressing his chest.  
"All this time you held it together. You became like this because you kept your promise… you've been so good to me," Raihan mumbled against Leon's warm skin as he followed his hands, his lips wandering over Leon's collarbone and slowly deeper. A sweet sigh escaped Leon, encouraging Raihan to continue on. Covering Leon's chest and abdomen in soft kisses and wet trails, Raihan stretched out his legs, sliding down further, until he got comfortable between Leon's legs. Of course he had fantasised about this before, but it seemed so surreal now that he really was face to face with Leon's cock. 

' _Let me take care of you_ ,' his own words echoed through his mind, and so his lips wandered from Leon's hip to his firm erection, digging his nose into the soft skin next to it, taking in the smell of just _Leon_. He sighed into it, and unconciously searched for approval.

Their eyes met. Eyes that were filled with insecurity and nervousness about this situation that was so different from before, because they were both concious and sane right now, both understanding the gravity of this moment, fully aware of what doing this would mean. Okay, so maybe they _weren't_ actually sane at all, but that was beside the point. Desire and a glimpse at carefully hidden away feelings. It was so overwhelming and confusing… !

Then Leon gave him an assuring smile and stroked through Raihan's hair, fingers catching on the ivory-colored spikes, guiding him gently but firmly to where he wanted him to be.

Raihan closed his eyes, his heart beating fast and hard with the knowledge that Leon wanted this too. Careful not to hurt him with his teeth, Raihan parted his lips around the tip, focusing on the feeling of the velvety, slick skin and the light bittersweet taste on his tongue as he took him in.

It was strange how much it did for him too, to feel Leon come apart under the inexperienced movements of his tongue, to feel his fingers grasp for hold in Raihan's hair, the less and less restricted moans escaping him, the stuttering of his hips that Raihan had to hold down to not choke on taking it too deep. Not that he didn't try that himself. The thought of letting Leon's cock slide down his throat all the way was… tempting, to say the least, but his gag reflex didn't allow that. Not yet. Though he wouldn't exactly get to practice after today, would he?

Raihan shoved the unpleasant thought aside and focused only on the here and now. The only thing that mattered. On the heavy, warm weight on his tongue, the shape of the vein on the underside of Leon's cock that burnt itsself into his memory, the tightened abdominal muscles where he held him down, the taste and the sounds and oh he could tell how close Leon was-

Raihan whimpered deep in his throat, desperately craving friction on his own neglected member, and the sheets could only provide so much after all. He hadn't expected to get influenced by this so much.

Suddenly Leon grabbed him roughly, a half-formed warning on his lips, but stumbling over his own words he threw his head back, his grip in Raihan's hair tightening, pulling him back. Momentarily disoriented from the sudden stop to his pace and loss in his mouth, Raihan felt cum hit his face as Leon held him in place, shuddering.

_Oh_.

For a moment, only their laboured breaths filled the room. When Leon's grip finally loosened, Raihan could look up to him. Leon returned the look, then suddenly groaned and put his arm over his face, falling back and sliding down the headrest. "Oh my god… " he muttered. "You have no idea how you look right now. If your intention was to calm me down, this might have the opposite effect." Raihan chuckled lazily, before starting to clean up Leon and himself, overly careful not to touch the sensitive skin with his sharp fangs still. A salty, musky taste that he never thought he'd get to know.

They really should talk this out.

But he didn't want to talk, not now, not whilst Leon was still into this, whilst the world felt reduced to this very room. So he indulged himself in gentle strokes and playful nibbling, exploring Leon's body the way he had gotten explored earlier that night. It didn't escape his attention that after a while, Leon was quite ready to go again.

"If you don't want me to jump you, you seriously should stop that," Leon warned him, but not shoving him away. "Your scent hasn't vanished at all yet either." He sat up whilst avoiding to look at Raihan directly. "Are you sure that your heat is over?"  
It was probably wishful thinking, that hint of eagerness he thought he heard in Leon's voice. Why was he being silly about this anyway? He knew what needed to be done to end his heat. He was normally so confident, there was no reason to shy away from being upfront now. He sat up as well.

"It's not gonna stop until I'm… well, for lack of a better word, _filled_?" he explained, slightly embarassed but reminding himself that they were far beyond the point where that mattered. Okay, so he needed someone to fill him with cum, _so what_?   
Leon made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and gasping for air. "You really have no sense of shame sometimes, huh?" he said fondly, pulling Raihan into his arms, fingers trailing the scales on his back. But then he got more serious. "You have no idea how hard it was to hold on. I promised not to stop, but you were… " He searched for the right words for a moment. His voice was merely a whisper when he finally said: "You were so tight and hot and convulsing all around me… "

Raihan shivered. Hearing Leon say such things… oh god.

"If you are trying to dirty-talk me into a round two, I'll have you know that it's working," he said shakily.  
Leon chuckled, his breath tickling Raihan's skin pleasantly. It was so easy to get caught up in him.

They exchanged a knowing glance and then Leon pulled him even closer and with a gentle push let them both sink into the sheets, entangled and lazy, as their lips found each other for a slow, deep kiss that was so different from the wild, desperate clash earlier. Leon on top of him felt just right. Indulgent. Warm and heavy. The kiss slowly trailed off and Leon straightened up. There was something incredibly intimate in the way he not once averted the gaze fixed on Raihan's face as his hands wandered over Raihan's body, caressing his legs before lifting them up and positioning himself.

"Well, then let's get this over with, shall we?" Leon said with a smile in his voice.

Raihan wanted to joke about how he could at least try to make an effort to make it sound like less of a chore, but the words got stuck in his throat when he felt Leon at his entrance, the light contact already sending an impulse through him that prickled like an electric shock and gave him goosebumps all over his back.

And then Leon moved, just like that, with one slow but unyielding thrust he entered Raihan again who gave way oh so easily, arching his back in a silent scream because it took his breath away, the intensity of Leon's gaze and the stretch of being filled to the brim at once. It felt so good he could have come then and there, just from that alone, and he dug his nails into Leon's shoulders in a silent plea. He wanted to moan, to scream, anything, but he couldn't get a sound out, it was too overwhelming.

Leon probably saw the struggle in his eyes because he bent back down, wrapping Raihan up in a calming kiss, and the movement inside of him when Leon shifted made Raihan tremble and whine into the kiss. Any pain or discomfort left over from earlier had long subsided, but he was still a bit sensitive which made the light friction that much more intense. Leon gave him time to adjust, to get used to it again after the rough fucking he had endured earlier. But right now, all Raihan wanted was for Leon to be a little bit less considerate, because he was already dripping and craving more.  
"Move already, you twit!" Raihan grumbled affectionately under the curtain of violet hair that had fallen over Leon's shoulders and cut them off from the rest of the world. Leon grinned at him, a very personal smile that was different from the wide, beaming one for the cameras. Mischievous, almost. When he finally did move, it came without warning, drawing out a long mewl from an unsuspecting Raihan.   
"I love the sounds that you make," Leon said, clearly enjoying himself; teasing him some more with small, random thrusts, playfully grabbing Raihan's own cock without actually doing anything with it. With a frustrated groan, Raihan wrapped his legs around his personal nemesis and yanked Leon's hips towards himself, who cried out in sudden surprise and a bit of pain as the talon-like spikes on Raihan's heels dug into his backside.  
Raihan grinned up at him, baring his fangs.  
"You were sayin'?"  
Leon laughed and gave in. "Alright, alright."

Raihan squirmed and trembled and yet fully embraced every thrust, each accompanied by Leon's gaze so unshakably fixed on him. _This was real_. He wasn't dreaming and he wasn't in a heat-induced trance. Here they were, so painfully aware of each other, of what they were doing, of what it meant for their friendship, and yet it still felt _right_.  
The salty taste of sweat and searing heat everywhere they touched made Raihan lightheaded, the friction and oversensitivity sent waves of bittersweet pleasure through his body, and their eyes holding each other made his fast-beating heart curl into a warm, irresponsible mess.   
Because beyond the physical pleasure, there was so much more. Leon being here, with him, _in_ him… it meant so much more, and Raihan clung to him like a drowing man to a straw, melting into every move, unraveling into the mess that he was, moaning and scraping at any hold he could find to keep himself from drowing in the love he held for this man.

"Raihan," his name was suddenly whispered, filled with urgency. "Raihan." So many layers of emotions. Leon's voice was deep with lust and already straining, it sounded more like a plea with every repeat.

They were one.  
Filled with overwhelming affection, Raihan smiled at him and closed his eyes whilst pulling Leon into a tender kiss. "You can come," he whispered against his love's lips.   
And Leon did. He was suprisingly quiet, as if the last of his energy was leaving him, violently shaking and pulsing deep inside, filling Raihan with sudden heat that swept him along as well one last time. Every hold crumbled away under him and he clung to Leon for dear life as the intensity of his own orgasm had him falling and drowning and dying before gentle darkness finally engulfed his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "dying"  
> Now wouldn't that be a sad twist if dragons ACTUALLY were semelparous...😗
> 
> Very busy irl rn so might be another week til I get around to the final chapter, sorry.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry for the massive delay.  
> Life has thrown a lot of rather...immediate problems my way these past few months (as it did for most people, I assume), and I had neither the time nor state of mind to finish this.
> 
> Here's the first half of the final chapter (had to cut it up since it was getting a bit too long), in case anyone was actually still waiting for closure on this. If anything in this chapter contradicts the new Sw/Sh expansion, I'm sorry, I haven't been able to play that yet either, so please just overlook it 😳

_Trapinch snug its heavy little head into the crook of Raihan's arm before closing its eyes with an exhausted growl._

_It hurt._

_Even though the one actually in pain was his Pokémon, Raihan hurt as if it was his own body that got charred by burning hot flames. With his free hand, he rummaged through his backpack, blinking hard to keep the tears away that were sneakily pricking at the corner of his eyes. He definitely had some Burn Heal in here somewhere - that was the least he could do after his incompetence had caused their first loss, and against a fire type of all things… !_

_How could he have given away their advantage so easily?!_

_The girl that had volunteered to be the judge of their battle kneeled down beside him, her orange pigtails falling forward over her shoulders. She gave him a pensive look, then grinned wide: "You did amazing, you know! Normally, not even adults stand a chance against him!" Her Yamper circled around them, curiously sniffing both Trapinch and his backpack._   
_But Raihan wasn't in the mood for her obvious attempts to cheer him up, the guilt still too overwhelming. He finally got hold of the small green bottle and sprayed the ointment generously over his Pokémon's wounds._

_"You'll be fine, buddy. It's gonna be fine soon," he mumbled, not caring if the girl could hear him or not. His gaze wandered over to the other side of the battlefield, where the other boy celebrated his victory by throwing his Charmander high in the air. He had his dark red jacket tied around his neck like a cape and despite the normal training wear underneath it, it gave him the look of a king._

_Raihan had never felt so small._

_He could very much believe it, that even adults lost to that boy. Never before had he seen a trainer so in sync with their Pokémon… ! And he couldn't be much older than Raihan either, it was probably his very first Gym Challenge as well._

_Trapinch slowly became more lively again and immediately started casting furtive glances at the playful Yamper rollicking around. Raihan chuckled with a sense of relief and gave his Pokemon a little nudge on the forehead. "No hunting that doggo. You are supposed to rest now!" Being a wild catch and not born and raised in the city, Raihan's Trapinch had a rather strong hunting instinct, and especially now that it was weakened, the need to catch some food to regain strength shone through._

_Suddenly, an outreached hand entered his field of view. He looked up. Before him stood the other boy, a confident grin on his face and his Charmander peeking over his shoulder. "The name's Leon, by the way!" he said. "That was such a fun battle! You two were honestly amazing. I actually thought I'd lose when I got caught in that sandstorm and couldn't see Charmander anymore. It was sooo dense!" He rambled on some more._

_'Leon' had entirely too much energy for Raihan to be comfortable with, but his words soothed the wound to Raihan's pride at least a little bit, so he grabbed the offered hand and shook it briefly._

_"Raihan. I'm from Hammerlocke."_

_Leon swayed a bit as his Charmander curled up inside the hood of his jacket to lick the bite marks on its tail, undoubtedly inflicted by Trapinch's massive jaws. Raihan couldn't help but feel a little jolt of pride; the battle had been closer than he thought it had been._

_"Nice to meet ya, Raihan! We should probably all get to a Pokémon Center before it gets dark. Charmander and your Trapinch look both pretty tired. Wanna come with us? We can rely on Yamper to… oh yea! This is Sonia, Yamper's trainer. We have been traveling together for the Gym Challenge since we are basically from the same town." Leon shrugged and revealed the bright yellow Gym Challenger band on his wrist as if he had to provide some sort of proof._   
_Sonia stood up with an exasperated sigh and straightened out her light green dress in the process._   
_"I can't believe you treat me like some sort of afterthought to this conversation!" she grumbled. "I'm not just your personal GPS, you know?"_

_Raihan listened to their ensuing bickering whilst he put his backpack on and took Trapinch into his arms, ready to go. A slight smile sneaked onto his lips - despite their bickering, he could tell that those two were good friends. It was surprisingly fun to be with trainers his own age, finally._

_"I'd love to come along with you," he said. The two of them turned around and Sonia wanted to reply with something, but he wasn't done yet. "Because I won't accept this loss yet. Let me have a rematch once we have all had some rest!"_

_Leon's surprised expression slowly warped into a wide grin, his golden eyes sparkling with excitement as he grabbed Raihan's shoulder and squeezed it. "I never back down from a challenge! Let's do it!"_

_For a brief moment something fluttered in Raihan's stomach as he looked into the other boy's eyes and saw the unbridled passion in them, but he quickly forgot about the strange feeling as they made their way back to the street leading to the Pokémon Center._

\- - -

Raihan groaned and turned his face into the pillow. It was too bloody bright and his half-asleep brain was having none of it. Still partially caught in his dream, he struggled to grasp where he actually was. It couldn't be his own bed because he always closed the curtains before he went to sleep. So was he at the Pokémon Center? No wait, that was a memory from over a decade ago, he wasn't a child anymore. 

With a heavy sigh, he forced his eyes open and tried to sit up, only to find his movement rather restricted - there was some rather heavy weight on his back. Raihan turned his head in mild confusion and was met with a wild bout of unruly, violet hair. A fond smile stole itsself onto his lips.

Good morning to you too, Leon.

Raihan sank back down, the memories of the previous night slowly trickling into his mind and with them came a mild sense of embarrassment.   
Well, that explained why he was naked, at least. Waking up with Leon sprawled out across him was generally nothing unusual, they had passed out next to each other after an exhausting match or a long night of talking many times over the years, but the lack of clothes would have been a bit concerning otherwise.

Closing his eyes again, he relaxed into the pillow. It wasn't exactly unpleasant. Leon's skin was warm, his arm possessively wrapped around Raihan in his sleep, and his slow, deep breaths were caressing Raihan's shoulder. He could almost fall back asleep like this. But he couldn't run from the Copperajah in the room forever, figuratively speaking.

So.  
They had done it.

_… now what?_

A part of him was rather amazed with his own lack of a freakout, but what was done was done, and now he had to deal with the consequences. 

Was it too late to go back to being friends? After all, he had managed to refrain from any sappy love confessions, what they had shared was a purely physical act, brought on by necessity due to his body deciding 4 years too late that a heat was mandatory after all. Sure, it would be a bit awkward at first, but they'd get over it with some effort, wouldn't they?

Raihan sighed quietly. As if it was that simple of a matter! In the first place, he didn't even know if Leon wanted to put in that kind of effort; 'accidently sleeping with your best friend' wasn't exactly something to easily get over.  
Heck, he didn't even know if he could do it himself. It was easy to _say_ that he would do absolutely anything to preserve their friendship, but he wasn't naive enough to think that he would ever be able to look at Leon the same way again now that he had gotten a taste of something more.

Something more that he could never have.

There was a painful lump in his throat that didn't go away with swallowing. Sure, Leon had been quite enthusiastic about it last night, but that was a side effect of his own body luring him in, it wasn't a voluntary decision. He had simply responded to the aphrodisiac pheromones in the air like any other man would have.  
Remembering Leon's intense gaze, his mischievous smile, unspoken words on their lips and Leon's guiding fingers in his hair told a different story though, a story that Raihan desperately wanted to be true, one where Leon wasn't forced into it, where he felt the same way-

Ha.  
As if that would ever happen.

In all these years, Leon had never shown even a sliver of attraction towards him, or even men in general. Sure, they joked around sometimes as if they were pretend-flirting, just for fun, which was Raihan's own personal hell because his heart beat faster everytime despite knowing none of it was real, leaving him in a state of self-loathing after. But that was the thing - it wasn't real, it was a joke, and aside from that, Leon had been the most exemplary platonic friend anyone could wish for.

Raihan turned slightly and carefully so he could look at Leon, who was still lying next to and on him, warm and utterly relaxed, entangled in the sheets and so, so close. He didn't want him to wake up, he wanted to enjoy this warmth and closeness just for a little bit longer, because he knew when Leon woke up, he'd remember what happened last night and his relaxed face would twist into a disappointed grimace, he'd put distance between them and would probably tell him they couldn't continue being like before because it would always feel _weird_ after today.

Because _Raihan_ was weird.

The lump in his throat refused to go away. Maybe he should just get up and leave before Leon woke up. He could spend the weekend at the gym, give Leon some space to come to terms with what had happened. So that they wouldn't be in this room, in this bed where they had shared too much already when they finally talked about it.   
But that would be cowardly, and Raihan wasn't a coward. He also wasn't sure he even _could_ spend a whole weekend with this hanging in the air. Raihan had always been one to tackle his problems head-on, he was quick to respond to whatever the world threw at him, so avoiding the confrontation would just make him antsy and squirming in dread the whole time. Better to get it over with right away. Sure, it would hurt, but a clean cut was better than to drag it out endlessly. He knew the end result already anyways. Still, he needed a plan on how to at least end things amicably.

Suddenly Leon started moving, the typical light, cozy stir of someone about to wake up.

… he needed a plan _now_!

A deep breath escaped Leon, not quite a sigh, slowly stretching his limbs and not quite conscious yet, and Raihan hated how hyper aware he was of Leon's bare skin moving along his own with that movement, how undeservedly giddy he got when Leon pulled him closer with the arm he still had wrapped around Raihan.  
The faintest hint of a pleased smile played on Leon's lips before he languorously nestled his face to Raihan's chest and with a sweet sigh, relaxed once more.

Yeah he was a cuddler alright. 

"G'dMornin'." The words were slurred and Leon's voice didn't sound quite right yet, still raspy from sleep, but Raihan's heart beat faster regardless.

The complete casualness with which Leon carried on as if any of this was normal, strangely enough also had a calming effect on Raihan. And so he _didn't_ jump up in utter panic when Leon mumbled: "Hmh… you smell good even without that heat stuff going on… "

"Slept well?" Raihan managed to get out, his own voice still sounding rough from the night before. Leon sighed and rolled over onto his back, and for a moment, Raihan bemoaned the sudden loss of the warm arm around him, before internally hitting himself over the head for the thought. Leon blinked hesitantly into the sunny morning light that made the room obnoxiously bright.

"For what little sleep I actually got, yeah," he beamed at Raihan, confident and utterly content despite the situation they were in, a twinkle of mischievousness in his eyes.  
"God, I thought my back was gonna break from how much work you made me put in! Maybe I'm getting old… "   
With an overdramatic gesture, he put a hand on his side and another over his heart, then laughed and Raihan's worries melted with it, just like that. He sat up and in a mocking sulk, shoved at Leon's shoulder. "You are younger than me, mate. If anyone's got a right to complain, it's me."  
Leon shrugged, smiling up at him.

Was that really it? Were they just gonna continue on like this, like they always had, just filing this _incredible ridiculous scary embarassing wonderful wrong intimate_ night under "kinda weird but unique experience" and move on?  
… that's what he had wanted, wasn't it? Being able to just go back to being friends, not letting this one night ruin a decade of friendship and rivalry. But then why did it feel as if something was breaking inside of him?  
He quickly turned away before his face could give anything away, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to get up.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't face Leon right now, not whilst he was this emotional mess who was so scared of anything changing between them and yet unsatisfied if nothing did. But he froze when a hand touched his back, a gentle caress along the bright line of scales. "Wow, they are even more stunning in sunlight," Leon mumbled appreciatively. Raihan squeezed the sheets between his fingers until it hurt. 

Don't.   
Don't turn around. Don't say anything. 

But when had he ever listened to good reason? He whirled around and grabbed Leon's hand, too hard, too roughly.

"Stop."

Leon had always been a touchy-feely guy, and Raihan had secretly enjoyed that, despite knowing there was no meaning behind it. But suddenly, he couldn't bear it anymore, the casual, meaningless touches. Not after he got to know what more there could be, how it felt to be touched with intent instead.  
Leon faltered for a moment, then sent an apologetic grin his way. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make this awkward. I just tend to go with the flow, you should know that by now… "

Raihan shook his head. "It's not you who is making this awkward." He wasn't going to make Leon carry the responsibility for this. The one who had fucked this up was him, back when he decided to ask Leon for help with his heat, knowing full well that it would ruin the best thing in his life for good. It was time to own up to it - enough wallowing in self-pity and fear.

"I'm sorry." That was a good start. "I'm sorry for taking advantage of you." So far, so good. Leon sat up, his expression unreadable, but clearly he was listening. He deserved to know, but it was _so hard_ to admit. Having lived this lie for so many years, it felt as if it had become a part of Raihan. But it was too late now. As much as he wished to go back to just being friends, just being rivals, even if Leon could, he couldn't.

_It hurt too much._

He had spent the better part of 10 years by Leon's side, thinking that it was enough, that he didn't need more than that, that their friendship was worth more than anything he could gain out of confessing. But after the events of last night, that friendship didn't exist anymore, not in the same form as it had before. How long was he going to continue this farce? Another 10 years? 20? Leon deserved a friend who actually wanted to be his friend, not someone secretly hoping for more! Heck, he himself deserved to move on.

Hesitantly, he started to explain.  
"When I asked for your help with this whole… dragon business, I promised myself I wouldn't keep any more secrets from you. But… I wasn't truthful after all." He pulled one leg back up on the bed so he could fully face Leon. His mouth formed the words before he could really think them over, could think about how to make them convincing or good-sounding or really just not as pathetic as he felt right now.

"The truth is that… I like- _I love you_. Not like a friend or a brother, but in the romantic sense… or whatever you wanna call it. Rainbows and Butterfrees and so on." He dismissed his own feelings with a wave of his hand. Leon was eerily quiet and the words just continued to bubble out of Raihan: "I… didn't want to be with another guy for my heat whilst I had these feelings. I know that was selfish and I'm happy you don't seem to mind it too much, but… "  
His voice trailed off. But? But he should have made an actual plan before talking about this, because he had no damn clue how to continue.

Still, it had come out so easily. No complete freakout, no shaky voice, just the truth finally laid bare. It actually felt good to _finally_ be open about this. He could go lick his wounds once this weekend was over.

Leon's face was unreadable.  
"Since when?" he eventually asked, voice low and quiet.  
Raihan shrugged. Remembering the dream earlier, the memory of their first meeting, maybe he had always been attracted to Leon from the very start.  
"I was maybe 13 or 14 when I realised and… accepted it," he admitted.

Leon gasped, unable to hide his shock any longer. "That's so long ago!" he exclaimed. "How did I never pick up on that!"

Nevermind, this was a horrible feeling after all. But now that Raihan had started it, he was gonna see it through.  
"I… was pretty careful not to let you notice."

Leon ran his fingers through his hair, in a destined to fail attempt to untangle it. It seemed as if he was carefully thinking through everything that Raihan had said.

Well. This was it, right? He had said his piece, time to leave before it got any more awkward. He felt numb, as if shocked by his own honesty and not yet fully able to process the effects this conversation would have on his life. Because logically, he should be panicking right now, but all he felt was emptiness and a weird feeling of weightlessness, almost elated, as if a gigantic weight had finally been taken off his chest.

Raihan slipped off the bed and looked around for last night's clothes so he could at least have the decency of wearing underwear. He slipped the cool fabric on and immediately felt more confident, as if he had an armor protecting him now. He turned around to Leon, who was still sitting on the disheveled bed.

"Anyway, that's how it is. I had ulterior motives when I asked you to help me out last night and honestly, I have no clue how you are taking this so well, but basically, I was never the kind of friend you thought I was and I'm sorry about that. About decieving you for so long and everything that happened last night." Raihan took a deep breath. He just needed to hold it together for a bit longer, then they could amicably go their seperate ways.

What he didn't expect was Leon grinning up at him after that reveal.  
"Sounds complicated," he said, flopping onto his stomach so he could fish for his own underwear next to the bed.

Raihan was taken aback and… honestly a bit mad. "Sounds- excuse me?! I pour out my heart and this is how you react?" Had he not been listening? How could Leon treat his great betrayal so casually? Unconciously baring his fangs at Leon, he took a step towards the bed.

Leon stood up and wobbled a bit whilst slipping into his shorts.  
"You make it sound way more complicated than it is. Basically, you like me and want to know if I like you back, huh?"  
Raihan was speechless. "That's… one way to put it." But it was so much more than that. The love and guilt of many years weighed so much more than a simple 'like' could express.  
Leon caught himself on Raihan's shoulder and finished putting on his pants.  
"Then just ask," he said with a gentle, knowing smile, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Fine. If this was how Leon wanted to play it, Raihan wasn't gonna back down. He threw his hair back and crossed his arms.  
"Do you like me, then?"

Leon moved the hand from his shoulder and wrapped it around him, pulling him closer. On his lips played a smile so full of warmth and fondness that shivers ran over Raihan's skin. It wasn't mischievous, not fake, not reserved - just genuine feelings on full display in a way Raihan never dared to. Leon's breath ghosted over his skin and then Leon's lips grazed his ear. "Sure I do," he whispered, the smile extending to his voice.   
Anger and hope fought a fierce battle in Raihan's chest. Making fun of his feelings like this was just not fair, and he had never expected Leon to do so, because whilst Leon was sometimes thoughtless, he never was intentionally cruel. But what if he was serious?

Raihan felt wobbly, unsteady, unsure how to continue. Why was Leon making this so hard for him?

"I'm saying," he started, frustration building up and making its way into his voice, "that I like you in a different way. Not the kind of like you have for me as a friend. The kind where you feel giddy everytime you meet, where you feel a piece of you is missing everytime they are away, the kind where the smallest word from them can elate or crush you to pieces because they are your world." His breath caught in his throat but he continued. "The kind where you want to monopolize them, touch them, mess them up and mark them as yours." Heat crept up into his cheeks, his voice growing quiet with desperation. "The kind that makes you… makes me reliant and insecure and pathetic-"

Raihan's voice cracked and he blinked hard to keep his burning eyes from tearing up. Fuck, he had messed that up badly and now all the ugly truths were laid bare.  
His love wasn't pretty. It was desperate and greedy and Leon shouldn't have to deal with all this.

But Leon wanted to deal with this.  
He took a step back and slowly, gently unwrapped Raihan's arms and took his hands into his own. He looked calm, entirely focused on Raihan. "First off, I think you are mistaken about something. I'm as much responsible for last night as you are. There were so many opportunities to walk away, and I _chose_ not to."

He took another step back and slowly lowered himself back onto the bed, drawing Raihan along by their joint hands.

"And I don't think it's pathetic. Or we can be pathetic together, if you prefer that." He laughed a bit embarrassedly. "Sorry, Rai. I'm pretty bad at this too. But I genuinely do like you as more than a friend." The slight tremble in his voice gave away that Leon wasn't as calm and confident as he made himself appear. He nervously squeezed Raihan's hands. "Won't you give me a chance?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second half of the final chapter. Was hesitant to post it, but oh well.

_"Won't you give me a chance?"_

-

"Sure, I guess," Raihan mumbled, heat and embarrassment and love intertwining in his chest into a warm fuzzy ball of goodness. It felt somewhat unreal, like there was no way any of this was actually happening, but Leon's hands were solid and warm in his and Raihan allowed himself to be pulled onto Leon's lap by them.  
Something serious twinkled in Leon's eyes for a moment as he quietly said:  
"… no backing out, okay?"  
His arms possessively wrapped around Raihan's waist, waiting for an answer.  
"That's my line, idiot," Raihan replied half-jokingly and half-breathless because ohgoditwasfinallysinkingin.

Leon. Wanted. This. He wanted this to actually be a thing!

He cast a glance down at Leon's face, and the smug grin he found there was way too inviting, so Raihan bent down for a casual kiss. At least that had been the intention, but somehow, it was… more than that. Knowing how they felt about each other changed everything, and suddenly he felt overwhelmed by just the delicate, shy brush of lips, as if this was their very first time. And yet there was something so familiar about the feeling of Leon's beard against his chin, the rough lips and the way they naturally fell into each other. A pleasant shiver ran down Raihan's spine, suddenly filled with a sense of belonging that he couldn't quite put into words. Leon's fingers rubbed soft circles into his skin and a sweet sigh escaped him as they breathed each other in, going at their own idle pace, lost in time and in each other.

When it ended, it felt like waking up from a dream. Still in a bit of a daze, Raihan simply enjoyed taking it all in, taking _Leon_ in, flushed and with slightly swollen lips, warmth and bliss reflected in his eyes that matched his own. His own fingers, threaded into Leon's hair, the violet even more vibrant in the bright light of the early morning, and the way Leon so readily leant into his touch. The hint of stubble that was starting to grow in, ruining the careful outline of his trimmed beard, and the soft smile on his lips.

None of that was out of reach anymore.

Suddenly overcome with a silly kind of giddiness, Raihan kissed his love again. Just a peck, simply reveling in the fact that he _could just do that now_ and see Leon's eyes light up in such a lovely way when he did.  
"Give me five more minutes before I stop acting like a schoolgirl in love," he laughed, not embarassed in the least. So what if he did. He _was_ in love, after all.

\- - -

"So when did you fall for me? It's only fair that I get to ask too," Raihan teasingly asked, idly drawing lines on Leon's bare chest. Leon had his eyes closed, seemingly enjoying Raihan's casual touches.  
"Mh… last night?" He opened one eye to fixate on Raihan, who gave him an exasperated 'Oh haha very funny' look.

"It's true though. Last night I decided I'm in love with you after all."

Wait.

How could Leon just _decide_ to be in love? That didn't seem real or reliable at all. Raihan really wanted to ignore the slight uneasiness the remark left him with, wanted to just enjoy the here and now and not think too deeply about their relationship yet, but he couldn't help it. In the end, his thoughts broke free:  
"That's just kinda… flimsy, isn't it? You can't normally just 'decide' that you love someone… !"

Maybe it was good that he was talking about that worry openly though. This was the very start of 'from here on out'. If he started it off with repressing how he really felt about something, what would be different from 'until now'? He _wanted_ to let Leon know. About the things that made him happy, the things that felt good, but also what made him uneasy and worried. He wanted Leon to show him, too. Raihan buried his head on Leon's shoulder, embarassed by his own ridiculously sappy thoughts.

Maybe this was something he just had to live with, that the intensity of their feelings wasn't the same. But if Leon could just change his mind easily whenever he wanted, it probably was better to not get his own hopes up too much in what this relationship was going to be.

"Aren't you gonna change your mind just as easily, then… ?" he asked quietly, exposing the fear that polluted his mind right now. Leon seemed to have noticed his unease and worried tone, because he gently cupped Raihan's face with both hands. "You of all people should know that I devote my everything to any decision I make and follow it through to the very end."

Of course Leon was right.  
But it still didn't _feel_ right. As if Leon just thought that he had to take responsibility for what they had done the night before, not something he just couldn't help. Raihan grew quiet, unsure of how to properly communicate his worries. Leon sighed.

"Raihan, listen to me. Don't get the wrong idea, okay? It's not like I never… well, _noticed_ you before. I mean, god, who wouldn't?!" Leon's hands wandered down to Raihan's shoulders and gave them an assuring squeeze. "You are one of the strongest trainers I know, you are incredibly dedicated, crazy smart and way too cool for your own good. It's adorable when you are so scatterbrained sometimes, and you _know_ you turn heads everywhere you go. It's not like I was unaffected by how freaking charming you are, silly." The affection in Leon's voice was almost too much to bear as he thumbed over Raihan's lips. "But you were always off-limits to me because you are a _friend_ , my one and only rival. I'm not letting attraction turn into more if there is no chance of it ever happening! But when something DID happen, even though it seemed completely out of this world, I couldn't… help myself anymore. I didn't want to pressure you into anything this morning just because you had slept with me, and you seemed to have made up your mind already, so I just wanted to go along with that. But I also couldn't just let you walk out of my life after you told me there is a chance that we could make this work!" He wrapped his arms around Raihan and buried his face in his chest.

So even Leon could feel like this, huh.

Raihan's heart beat embarassingly loud, booming in his own ears. Suddenly he felt silly for his doubts, Leon's words had just melted them away and only left behind a sweet pool of happiness. But Leon wasn't done yet.

"I'm not like you," he mumbled into Raihan's chest. "I don't think things through so much, the head-on approach has always worked just fine, so… I might hurt you again in the future, by being thoughtless like this. But I'll try not to! So please - continue telling me everything that worries you."  
Raihan couldn't help himself, he laughed. "What kind of announcement is that… !" He hugged Leon, holding him close to his chest. "And I like that single-minded nature of yours. You don't have to change."

\- - -

Several minutes passed in which they just enjoyed being close like this, listening to each other's natural sounds. Then Leon glanced up at him with a sly smile and a hint of something else in his voice: "You know, your heart is beating real fast. Is that normal for dragon people or is it alright to feel a bit… conceited about that?"  
Raihan chuckled and shifted his weight somewhat so that Leon lost his balance and they both fell backwards onto the bed, Leon under him.  
"Both, actually," he explained, a bit distracted by the feeling of skin on skin. When Leon touched his lips again, Raihan sucked in his finger, which was rewarded with a sudden sharp inhale as the small fangs gently prodded the skin. Through half-lidded eyes, Raihan looked down on him, his teeth holding the finger in place. Leon's breathing visibly accelerated at the sight of that. Raihan let the wet finger go with a low chuckle and mischievously grinned at Leon. "Are there any _other_ questions you have about this?"  
Leon stared at him for a moment, before saying: "Yes, but I think they can wait."

He pulled Raihan into a hungry kiss. Leon's muscular body felt way too good under his hands and maybe Raihan was getting a bit carried away, because Leon gasped into the kiss in surprise when Raihan playfully squeezed his rear through his pants.  
Carefully observing Leon's reaction, Raihan slowly slid his fingers past the waistband, curiously exploring the firm skin below the fabric. He wasn't going to force the issue here, but it was probably not wrong to clarify some things right away.  
"You know that this doesn't change that we are rivals, right?" he said, a bit breathlessly.  
Leon gave the hint of a nod. "Of course?"

"And whilst I don't think that there is winning or losing in this… " Raihan continued. "I don't plan on submitting to you everytime, just so you know."

Leon writhing under him, eyes closed and desperately begging for more, for _Raihan_ to give him more… he wanted to see it. The little fantasy went straight to his groin and he had to hold back to not grind against Leon. What he didn't expect was Leon readily leaning into his touch, it surprised him so much he almost removed his hands again. But it felt good. The smooth, firm skin pressing against his fingertips had Raihan imagine all sorts of things that they could be doing.  
"I was getting kinda curious myself after I saw you enjoying yourself so much last night, to know what it's like," Leon mused between soft gasps, moving his hips impatiently against Raihan's, clearly fine with more, judging by his growing errection.

So they were doing this, huh.

Raihan peppered small kisses and lovebites over Leon's neck and collarbones, gasping when he felt Leon's firm grip in his hair, cursing the fact that he had put his pants back on earlier-

Suddenly a muffled rumbling sound interrupted them. Raihan groaned and continued as before, but Leon just stared at him incredulously: "Was that… your stomach?"  
"Shh," Raihan shushed him. "Can't you see I'm making an effort to ignore it right now!"

An attempt was made, but soon it became very clear that Leon couldn't stop himself from laughing, especially as the grumbling repeated with more insistence. Gasping for air, Leon eventually squeezed out: "Right - you didn't eat any of the curry yesterday. No wonder you are hungry!"

Raihan sat up, sulking.  
"Forget it, the mood's gone now." He offered Leon a hand to get up as well. "Stupid basic needs announcing themselves at the worst possible time. Let's go have breakfast?" He sighed. Then again, sex counted as a basic urge as well, so it was just one winning out over the other.

He was a bit confused when Leon didn't take his hand. When he looked down to see what was going on, Leon was frozen in place, he looked as if he had seen a ghost.  
"What's wrong?" Raihan asked, a bit worried.

"The curry. Last night. Oh god. I left Charizard-" With that jumble of words, Leon almost flew out of bed, stumbling over fixing his pants before he was already out the bedroom door.

\- - -

Raihan, leaning in the doorway to the kitchen, had a hard time trying not to laugh at Leon's desperate attempts to appease his most beloved Pokémon. Whenever Leon tried to come close, Charizard snorted little flames his way. Other than that, it treated its trainer like air, while Raihan had become the target of its piercing stare.  
"Alright, alright," he said, tying his hair up loosely whilst stepping into the kitchen. Everything was in surprisingly good shape considering they left such a big and powerful - and clearly angry - Pokémon to its own devices all night. Of course he knew Charizard was ultimately a gentle soul, but spending the night alone on cold kitchen tiles without a word from its trainer surely wasn't pleasant.  
He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about what to say.

"Yo, Charizard. I want to apologise. It's my fault that Leon was a bit… preoccupied last night, so don't sulk too much, okay? It's not his fault. If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me," he explained, then added hesitantly: "I wasn't feeling so well, so I needed him to take care of me. Do you understand?"

The large Pokémon flicked its flaming tail whilst seemingly thinking it over.

"If you are mad at me, we can have an all-out fight to settle things later today! But don't blame your trainer, okay?"

Charizard breathed out some sparks, but they were the gentle kind now. Leon jumped at the chance to make things right, and Raihan smiled whilst watching them, how Leon happily hugged Charizard's long neck, explaining things in a soft voice, and how the fire Pokémon grumpily but affectionately wrapped one wing around its trainer.

"I'll leave you two to it," Raihan said. "And meanwhile go… clean myself up a bit."

\- - -

Freshly showered and partially dressed, Raihan returned to the kitchen a while later. Charizard was nowhere to be seen, so it seemed like they had made up and it returned to its Pokéball. Leon was stirring a - notably smaller - pot than the one they had used yesterday.

"Did any of the curry survive?" Raihan asked, dropping down on one of the chairs at the kitchen counter.  
"Yeah, enough for both of us! Charizard ate his share already, but he isn't a Snorlax in disguise," Leon responded with an easy-going shrug. "Can you take care of the rice? I don't trust your modern kitchen appliances." Raihan laughed and got up. "A rice cooker is about as basic as it gets! I don't even cook frequently and even I can use it."  
They worked in comfortable silence next to each other, Raihan rinsing the rice, Leon making sure by stirring that the curry didn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

"So, uhm," Raihan started after a while. Something had been on his mind ever since he had gone to take a shower, but it was a bit awkward to ask.  
"I didn't really think about it when I woke up, but… " He shoved the inner pot into the cooker, closed the lid and set the timer, distracting his hands with the familiar steps. "There was… uh, less clean-up involved than I'd expected. Considering everything we did, y'know."

Leon made a face as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  
"I cleaned you up," he admitted right away. "You were completely passed out and… well, I didn't know if you could… you know."

No, Raihan actually had no clue where he was going with this. Leon squirmed uncomfortably, clearly unhappy that he had to spell it out.  
"With you being an Omega and all… you said the gender is kinda reversed, so I was worried that you might be able to get-"

Raihan's hysterical laughter interrupted him. "Oh my god Lee, I wouldn't have asked you to come inside if I could get pregnant from it! I'm not _that_ irresponsible… !"

A fierce blush adorned Leon's cheeks and defensively he exclaimed: "And obviously I didn't want you to be uncomfortable either… ! Oh stop laughing already, you sod!"  
Still shook by the occasional laugh, Raihan hugged Leon from behind, putting his chin on his shoulder. It was nice how well Leon fit into his arms, just the right bit smaller than him.  
"I appreciate it. Seriously. You are so sweet, I almost feel guilty for snatching you up for myself."  
Leon stared into the pot as if the answer to all of life's questions was hidden in it.  
"You better be," he mumbled without looking at Raihan, but a smile crept onto his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know the stomach growling was cliché as hell, but in my defense, he hasn't eaten in two days 🤦


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little epilogue.
> 
> I took some liberties here; technically the World Coronation Series is anime-only but I just like the idea of a World Championship existing. It's kinda ridiculous to hold it EVERY YEAR though, so I went with a 4 year cycle, like the Olympics irl.
> 
> Sorry about that 🤭

It was Sunday evening and they were back in the kitchen once again. The tutorial match series had been a tremendous success, even though Leon complained that it felt unnatural compared to normal Pokémon battles.

Raihan flopped onto one of the chairs at the kitchen counter and lazily scrolled through his phone. As the host, it would normally fall to him to keep his guest well-fed, but they had realised over the course of the weekend that his first heat left him surprisingly exhausted, so Leon insisted on keeping him away from the stove, knives and anything of that sort whilst he was 'recuperating'. Still, he felt kind of guilty watching Leon work. "Is this really okay?" he asked, glancing over the edge of his phone.  
  
"Are you going to continue asking about that all weekend?" Leon responded, without looking up from the spring onions he was cutting. Raihan grinned obnoxiously. " _Only_ the weekend? So you'll leave tomorrow?"

Leon looked regretful yet determined when he said: "Yeah, I need to get back to the Battle Tower. I'm not giving up my dream to become your… I don't know, homemaker or something like that?"  
Raihan laughed at the mental image of Leon in an apron, dusting away at some decorative items.  
"I wouldn't want you to! Heck, you can't even use a rice cooker, I don't think that's the right job for you." He stretched out across the counter lazily, head tilted to the side. "But the same is true for me. I can't just drop everything and leave Hammerlocke whenever I feel like it."  
Their lives were busy, he was under no illusion that this budding relationship would change anything about that fact. At least his head knew that. His heart wasn't quite as on board with the idea of being apart so soon again.

Leon turned around to him and they grinned at each other with a hint of sadness in their eyes. "But… we are going to make it work regardless, right?" Raihan asked with a sudden need for assurance. "Of course," Leon said with the same steadfast confidence he usually had in most aspects of his life.  
  
Raihan let out the breath he had unconciously been holding. Yeah, long-range would be a challenge, but they were both more than willing to take it on, and besides, Wyndon wasn't on the other side of the world. They would be fine. And surely, one day, in the long term, they'd find a solution, right?  
There was a peaceful quiet that enveloped the kitchen, only the even sound of the knife hitting the cutting board and Leon occasionally mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like a curse interrupting it, and Raihan almost dozed off from how domestic it all felt.

\- - -  
  
" _Give me one year_ ," Leon suddenly said. Raihan sleepily opened his eyes. "Huh? For what?" Leon was rummaging through the cupboards to find plates for the food that he had apparently completed during Raihan's involuntary nap.

"To finish setting up the Battle Tower so it can run independently," he explained casually, as if that wasn't a big deal whatsoever. But the promise that was implicit in that sentence made Raihan wide awake and torn between happiness and dread.  
"Leon, I wouldn't want you to-"  
  
Leon sat the plates down with a bit too much force and the sound stopped Raihan's protest.  
  
"Don't misunderstand," Leon said, and he seemed to have made up his mind already. "My goal has never changed - I want to make Galar the strongest region in the world."

He filled the plates with a simple stir-fry and set them down - more gently this time - on the counter, sitting down across from Raihan, before continuing: "But the Battle Tower is just one step along the way. There are so many things I want to do. When I was the Champ, I thought I could just lead by example - but there is so much groundwork I neglected before. I put it off so far because I'm too busy, but the board of trainer schools asked for my assistance on improving their curriculum to make it more applicable in actual battle, and I plan to take part in more exhibition matches all across Galar to show new trainers how to react to tough situations in fights, and in two years, we both need to be ready for the next World Coronation Series as well." Leon's gaze was fixed onto a point far ahead, as if he clearly saw the future laid out in front of him. But suddenly, he looked at Raihan. "The one I want to come back to after every single thing is you," he declared with a soft smile.  
  
Hot and cold shivers ran over Raihan. He hadn't been prepared for this kind of serious look at their future, for this level of commitment from Leon, for a desire that matched his own, and he was afraid to allow himself to expect it.  
"Aren't you moving a little too fast… " he said jokingly, voice weaker than he wanted it to sound.  
  
"I am," Leon admitted freely. "Look, I'm not saying we should move in with each other right away or get married or something, okay? I just… like the idea of being able to see my boyfriend more than once every few months, and out of the two of us, I'm the one less bound to a certain location, Mr. Gym Leader."

 _Boyfriend_.  
That sounded… nice.

Raihan chuckled as a warm feeling filled his chest. "You know, I'd like that, too."  
He took a forkful of the stir-fry and grimaced.

"During my next heat, we are ordering food."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there it finally is, the end.  
> I want to thank everyone for the overwhelmingly positive feedback, it made me so happy to recieve all these kudos and comments and...just everything 😳
> 
> Sorry for being such an unreliable author.  
> This originally started as a 4 chapter mini thing poking fun at how silly Raihan's hair looks in concept art without his headband, and somehow evolved into...well, whatever this is, lol.


End file.
